This hugely popular Japanese dish is super crispy & crunchy and has a nice juicy pork center. Very economical, comes together in minutes, and can easily be made at home to taste just like the restaurants! I like to make mine a complete meal with some egg fried rice and some green cabbage coleslaw (for that nice acidic & creamy crunch)! Top it off with some sweet & savory tonkatsu sauce, and I’m sure it’s a dish you’ll come back to time & time again!
Recipe for Tonkatsu:
With a meat tenderizer/pounder (or the back end of a cleaver or heavy duty knife), gently pound 4 Boneless Pork Loin Chops (about 1.5 lb) (top and bottom) (Note: don’t pound completely flat. You just want to tenderize it a bit). Season with garlic salt and pepper (on top and bottom).
Set up a breading station with 3 shallow dishes. Place 1 cup corn starch in the first, 2 eggs (lightly beaten) in the second, and 1-1.5 cups of panko bread crumbs in the third.
Coat each pork chop in the corn starch by gently pressing the loin into the starch and shaking off the excess (make sure to get the sides as well).
Next, dip the pork loin into the egg and coat completely.
Finally, dredge into the panko bread crumbs and shake off excess. Note: try to designate a dry and wet hand so it doesn’t get too messy with all the clumping!
Fill a pan with vegetable or corn oil to about 1” depth and heat oil over medium heat to about 350°F (use a thermometer if possible). Shallow fry each pork loin 3.5-4 min (on each side) or until internal temp reaches 145°F (63°C) and the crust is golden brown. Note: Don’t overcrowd the pan; depending on the size of your pan, cook only 1-2 chops at a time.
With a fish slice or slotted spatula, remove the pork loin and set on paper towels to drain excess oil. Rest for 5 minutes. Slice and enjoy! (Don’t forget to properly & environmentally dispose of your cooking oil; NEVER pour it down those pipes!)
Recipe for Cabbage Coleslaw:
Shred ¼ head of green cabbage (or use about one package of pre-shredded cabbage; usually about 10 oz), and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Add in 2 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar, and ¼ cup Japanese mayo (just eyeball it). Toss gently with tongs. Add in 1 tbsp sesame seeds.
If you like, add more vinegar, mayo, or salt/pepper to your taste. Ready to serve!